asmuch as it was
a literary task, which not everyone was capable of executing. It was not
everyone of the booksellers' writers of London who was competent to
translate the Haik Esop. I determined to accept the offer of the
Armenian.

Once or twice the thought of what I might have to undergo in the
translation from certain peculiarities of the Armenian's temper almost
unsettled me; but a mechanical diving of my hand into my pocket, and the
feeling of the solitary half-crown, confirmed me; after all, this was a
life of trial and tribulation, and I had read somewhere or other that
there was much merit in patience, so I determined to hold fast in my
resolution of accepting the offer of the Armenian.

But all of a sudden I remembered that the Armenian appeared to have
altered his intentions towards me: he appeared no longer desirous that I
should render the Haik Esop into English for the benefit of the
stock-jobbers on Exchange, but rather that I should acquire the rudiments
of doing business in the Armenian fashion, and accumulate a fortune,
which would enable me to make a figure upon 'Change with the best of the
stock-jobbers. 'Well,' thought I, withdrawing my hand from my pocket,
whither it had again mechanically dived, 'after all, what would the
world, what would this city, be without commerce? I believe the world,
and particularly this city, would cut a very poor figure without
commerce; and then there is something poetical in the idea of doing
business after the Armenian fashion, dealing with dark-faced Lascars and
Rabbins of the Sephardim. Yes, should the Armenian insist upon it, I
will accept a seat at the desk, opposite the Moldavian clerk. I do not
like the idea of cuffs similar to those the Armenian bestowed upon the
Moldavian clerk; whatever merit there may be in patience, I do not think
that my estimation of the merit of patience would be sufficient to induce
me to remain quietly sitting under the infliction of cuffs. I think I
should, in the event of his cuffing me, knock the Armenian down. Well, I
think I have heard it said somewhere, that a knock-down blow is a great
cementer of friendship; I think I have heard of two people being better
friends than ever after the one had received from the other a knock-down
blow.'

That night I dreamed I had acquired a colossal fortune, some four hundred
thousand pounds, by the Armenian way of doing business, but suddenly
awoke in dreadful perplexity as to how I